Newspaper reviews

Presley fan sees "The King's Performance" In Cincy After Years In Seclusion: Fantastic
By Judy Banning
Journal News, Hamilton, OH
November 16, 1971

The stage is humming with the sounds of pianos, drums and electric guitars. The tension mounts, with avid fans sitting on the edge of their seats. The house lights dim and the moment we have been waiting for arrives. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Cincinnati Gardens is pleased to present the dynamic, the incomparable King, Elvis Presley."

Instantantly the auditorium is illuminated by the blinding flashes of lights from the anxious picture takers. For a few brief seconds, it's ear-piercing pandemonium.

Then in the spot light can be seen the tall slender figure of this man, who in the late 1950s made, the most revolutionary change in the history of popular music.

This otherwise quiet and reserved young man absolutely explodes in front of a live audience. He sang songs, that in earlier years, made the girls swoon, like "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You." Then he sang more current hits like "Poke Salad Annie," "Suspicious Minds" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Elvis Presley has changed his style a little bit. He has let his hair grew a little longer and his clothes, for personal appearances, are real eye catchers. For this appearance he was wearing a black flair-legged jumpsuit with dazzling gold sequins and a matching gold belt. The legs and arms had inserts of jade-green velvet.

He also had a silk neck scarf of matching green (which he handed to one of the eye-watering and excited female fans) He wore numerous rings on his fingers and a peace medallion on a gold chain around his neck which could be seen through the v-neck cut of the jumpsuit top.

As his performance progressed, beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead and cheekbones. He put his best efforts into every song ... you could tell by the exhausted expression he had by the end of his performance. By the time his hour and 10 minute performance was over, he was soaking from head to toe.

The background voices were furnished by a three woamn singing group called "The Sweet Inspiration." They sang several songs at the start of the show. They also gave an excellent performance and wonderful accompaniment on the religious song "How Great Thou Art."

Though the girls would scream and cry, no one was allowed in the ailes and no press pictures were permitted ... not that the attempt wasn't made. And no interviews were granted.

Elvis arrived about eight minutes before his show time in a black limousine that was driven directly behind the stage. He got out, came on stage, did his performance and exited the same way, under the strictest security arrangements.

Excluding the time he was on stage, he could not have been in the Cincinnati Gardens more than 10 minutes. Security guards said that he would come directly from the airport to the Gardens just in time to make the show. When he finished he would be driven back to the airport immediately and changed his clothes in the car. No one was permitted to see him or to photograph him off stage.

Later it was found out that he did not go directly to the airport but went to Carosel Inn. Two girls from Fairfield were invited to his after-performance party by Elvis himself.

His performance was seen by a sell-out crowd.

It's wonderful that after all those years of seclusion, he has consented to go on tour throughout the United States to give his fans a chance to see him perform in person. When you see him, you can understand why they call him the "King".